1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a recording apparatus and recording method, reproducing apparatus and reproducing method, and recording medium; and particularly relates to a recording apparatus and recording method, reproducing apparatus and reproducing method, and recording medium which are suitable for use in recording and/or reproducing data while managing the recording area of a recording medium on a predetermined block basis.
2. Description of the Related Art
The assignee of this application has already proposed a system which transfers data such as video, audio, character, computer program, and other likewise data, particularly digital data, from an information providing apparatus to portable user terminals equipped with a recording medium such as semiconductor memory, thereby providing various types of service, in Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 6-131371, Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 6-215010, Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 6-301601, etc., for example.
According to such a system, for example, the user can carry a user terminal, go to a location where an information providing apparatus is set up, receive audio data or the like from the information providing apparatus, receive the data in the recording medium, and reproduce the data with the user terminal thereby listening to music in this case. In other words, in this case, the user does not need to purchase a CD (compact disk) or magnetic tape with audio data recorded therein in order to be provided with the music. Also, in the event that the user grows tired of that piece of music, the user can be provided with audio data for a new piece of music, and listen to the new music.
Since portability is required for such user terminals, non-volatile memory such as flash memory which is capable of holding data even without back-up of a battery or the like, is preferably used for the recording medium.
However, flash memory has a problem in that the program time necessary for writing input data into the flash memory is relatively longer in comparison to the data input time necessary for inputting the data therein, so in the event that the amount of data to be written is greater than the amount of data which can be input to the flash memory at once, a wait time consisting only of program time occurs between completion of input of data to the flash memory to input of the next data. Allowing such a wait time to occur means that more time is required for providing data to each user. On the other hand, the information providing apparatuses are used by a great number of users, so required a greater amount of time for each user results in making the other users wait, consequently resulting in fewer users being able to receive the service.
Accordingly, the present assignee has already proposed a recording method wherein a plurality of flash memory chips are used, and data is written thereto in a parallel manner, thereby reducing the amount of time required to write the data (hereafter referred to as the xe2x80x9cparallel recording methodxe2x80x9d).
The parallel recording method is an arrangement wherein, for example, data is input to one chip of a plurality of pieces of flash memory, and when that input is completed, the next data is input to another chip, and when that input is completed, the next data is input to yet another chip, and so on. That is to say, while the data input to one chip is being written thereto, the next data is being input to another chip, thereby allowing the next data to be input without waiting for the program time of the first chip, thereby reducing the amount of time necessary for writing data.
Now, data is written to and read from flash memory in units called pages, and data is deleted therefrom in units of blocks, which are comprised of several pages. Thus, the pages are finer units than blocks.
Accordingly, with the parallel recording method, data is managed in units of blocks, to enable efficient writing, deleting, and so forth. More specifically, block management information for managing each of blocks is formed for each of the blocks, and each block is managed based on its peculiar block management information.
Similarly, the parallel recording technique employs file management information which is formed for each of the files. Each file is managed based on the associated file management information.
In the above-described parallel recording technique proposed by the present assignee, the block management information lacks any information concerning the file of the data stored in the block managed by the block management information. In other words, information concerning the file is contained only in the file managing information. This poses a risk that the access to the file is impeded in the event of destruction of the file managing information due to, for example, accidental drop of the voltage of the electric power supplied to the apparatus, even if the date of the file and the block management information managing the block storing the data are alive.
The present invention has been made in light of the above state, and accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to ensure accessibility to files even when file management information is destructed.
To these ends, according to a first aspect of the present invention, there is provided a recording apparatus for recording data in a recording medium by managing a recording area in the recording medium on a block basis, comprising: file management information storing means for storing file management information for managing logical sequential order of each of files stored in the recording medium; block management information storing means for storing block management information including information for identifying each of the files, information indicative of the logical sequential order of the block in which the data of each file is recorded, and information indicative of the size of the data recorded in the block; and record controlling means for recording a file in the recording medium and for forming the file administration information and the block management information concerning the file.
In accordance with a second aspect of the present invention, there is provided a recording method for recording data in a recording medium by managing a recording area in the recording medium on a block basis, comprising: a file management information storing step for storing file management information for managing logical sequential order of each of files stored in the recording medium; a block management information storing step for storing block management information including information for identifying each of the files, information indicative of the logical sequential order of the block in which the data of each file is recorded, and information indicative of the size of the data recorded in the block; and a record controlling step for recording a file in the recording medium and for forming the file administration information and the block management information concerning the file.
In accordance with a third aspect of the present invention, there is provided a reproducing apparatus for reproducing data from a recording medium by managing a recording area in the recording medium on a block basis, comprising: file management information storing means for storing file management information for managing logical sequential order of each of the files stored in the recording medium; block management information storing means for storing block management information including information for identifying each of the files, information indicative of the logical sequential order of the block in which the data of each file is recorded, and information indicative of the size of the data recorded in the block; and reproduction controlling means for reproducing one of the recorded files based on the file administration information and the block management information concerning the file.
In accordance with a fourth aspect of the present invention, there is provided a reproducing method for reproducing data from a recording medium by managing a recording area in the recording medium on a block basis, comprising: reproducing the file containing the data, based both on file management information for managing logical sequential order of each of files stored in the recording medium and block management information including information for identifying each of the files, information indicative of the logical sequence of the blocks in which the data of each file is recorded, and information indicative of the size of the data recorded in the blocks.
In accordance with a fifth aspect of the present invention, there is provided a recording medium having a recording area for recording data of files, the recording area being managed on a predetermined block basis, wherein access to each of the files is managed based both on file management information for managing logical sequential order of each of files stored in the recording medium and block management information which includes information for identifying each of the files, information indicative of the logical sequence of the blocks in which the data of each file is recorded, and information indicative of the size of the data recorded in the blocks.
The invention in its sixth aspect provides a recording apparatus for recording data of files in a recording medium by managing a recording area in the recording medium on a block basis, comprising: block management information storing means for storing block management information including information for identifying each of the files, information indicative of the logical sequential order of the block in which the data of each file is recorded, and information indicative of the size of the data recorded in the block; record controlling means for recording a file in the recording medium and for forming the block management information concerning the file; and block link management information forming means for forming, based on the block management information, block link management information including link information indicative of the state of linkage between the blocks in which the data of the file is recorded.
The present invention in its seventh aspect provides a recording method for recording data of files in a recording medium by managing a recording area in the recording medium on a block basis, comprising: a record controlling step for recording a file in the recording medium, and forming block management information including information for identifying the file, information indicative of the logical sequential order of the block in which the data of the file is recorded, and information indicative of the size of the data recorded in the block; and block link management information forming step for forming, based on the block management information, block link management information including link information indicative of the state of linkage between the blocks in which the data of the file is recorded.
The present invention in its eighth aspect provides a reproducing apparatus for reproducing data of a file from a recording medium by managing a recording area in the recording medium on a block basis, comprising: block management information storing means for storing block management information which includes information for identifying each of the files, information indicative of the logical sequential order of the block in which the data of each file is recorded, and information indicative of the size of the data recorded in the block; block link management information forming means for forming, based on the block management information, block link management information including link information indicative of the state of linkage between the blocks in which the data of the file is recorded; and reproduction controlling means for reproducing the file based on the block management information and the block link management information.
The present invention in its ninth aspect provides a reproducing method for reproducing data of a file from a recording medium by managing a recording area in the recording medium on a block basis, comprising: block link management information forming step for forming block link management information including link information indicative of the state of linkage between the blocks in which the data of the file is recorded, based on block management information which includes information for identifying the file, information indicative of the logical sequential order of the block in which the data of the file is recorded, and information indicative of the size of the data recorded in the block; and reproduction controlling step for reproducing the file based on the block management information and the block link management information.
In accordance with a tenth aspect of the present invention, there is provided a recording medium having a recording area managed on a predetermined block basis, for recording data of a file, wherein block link management information is formed to include link information indicative of the state of linkage between the blocks in which the data of the file is recorded, based on block management information which includes information for identifying the file, information indicative of the logical sequential order of the block in which the data of the file is recorded, and information indicative of the size of the data recorded in the block; and wherein access to the file is managed based on the block management information and the block link management information.
In accordance with an eleventh aspect of the present invention, there is provided a recording apparatus for recording data of a file in a parallel manner in a recording medium by managing a recording area in the recording medium on a block basis, comprising: parallel block forming means for forming at least one parallel block constituted by at least one block, for enabling the data of the file to be recorded in at least one block in the parallel manner; record controlling means for recording the data of the file in the parallel manner in the block or blocks constituting the parallel block; block link management storing means for storing block link management information concerning the parallel block constituted by the block or blocks in which the data of the file is recorded; and computing means for computing position information concerning the position of the data of the file based on the block link management information.
In accordance with twelfth aspect of the present invention, there is provided a recording method for recording data of a file in a parallel manner in a recording medium by managing a recording area in the recording medium on a block basis, comprising: parallel block forming step for forming at least one parallel block constituted by at least one block, for enabling the data of the file to be recorded in at least one block in the parallel manner; record controlling step for recording the data of the file in the parallel manner in the block or blocks constituting the parallel block; and computing step for computing position information concerning the position of the data of the file based on block link management information which includes information concerning the parallel block constituted by the block or blocks in which the data of the file is recorded.
In accordance with a thirteenth aspect of the present invention, there is provided a reproducing apparatus for reproducing, by managing the recording area of a recording medium on a block basis, data which has been stored in the recording medium in a parallel manner, wherein at least one parallel block constituted by at least one block, for enabling the data of a file to be recorded in at least one block in the parallel manner, has been formed and the data of the file has been recorded in the parallel manner in the bock or blocks constituting the parallel block, the reproducing apparatus comprising; block link management information storing means for storing block link management information concerning the parallel block constituted by the block or blocks in which the data of the file is recorded; reproduction controlling means for reproducing the data of the file based on the block link management information; and computing means for computing, based on the block link management information, position information concerning the position of the data of the file which is being reproduced.
In accordance with a fourteenth aspect of the present invention, there is provided a reproducing method for reproducing, by managing the recording area of a recording medium on a block basis, data which has been stored in the recording medium in a parallel manner, wherein at least one parallel block constituted by at least one block, for enabling the data of a file to be recorded in at least one block in the parallel manner, has been formed and the data of the file has been recorded in the parallel manner in the bock or blocks constituting the parallel block, the reproducing method comprising: reproduction controlling step for reproducing the data of the file based on block link management information which includes information concerning the parallel block constituted by block or blocks in which the data of the file has been recorded; and computing step for computing, based on the block link management information, position information concerning the position of the data of the file which is being reproduced.
In accordance with a fifteenth aspect of the present invention, there is provided a recording medium having a recording area managed on a predetermined block basis to record data of a file in a parallel manner, wherein at least one parallel block constituted by at least one block, for enabling the data of a file to be recorded in at least one block in the recording area in the parallel manner, has been formed and the data of the file has been recorded in the parallel manner in the bock or blocks constituting the parallel block, and position information concerning the position of the data of the file is computed, based on block link management information including information concerning the parallel block constituted by the block or blocks in which the data of the file is recorded.
Thus, in the recording apparatus in accordance with the first aspect of the present invention, the file management information storing means stores file management information for managing logical sequential order of each of files stored in the recording medium, and the block management information storing means stores block management information which includes information for identifying each of the files, information indicative of the logical sequential order of the block in which the data of each file is recorded, and information indicative of the size of the data recorded in the block. The record controlling means serves to record a file in the recording medium and for forming the file administration information and the block management information concerning the file.
In the recording method in accordance with the second aspect of the present invention, steps are employed for forming file management information for managing logical sequential order of each of files stored in the recording medium, and for forming block management information including information for identifying each of the files, information indicative of the logical sequential order of the block in which the data of each file is recorded, and information indicative of the size of the data recorded in the block.
In the reproducing apparatus in accordance with the third aspect of the present invention, the file management information storing means stores file management information for managing logical sequential order of each of the files stored in the recording medium, while the block management information storing means stores block management information which includes information for identifying each of the files, information indicative of the logical sequential order of the block in which the data of each file is recorded, and information indicative of the size of the data recorded in the block. The reproducing apparatus also comprises the reproduction controlling means which reproduces one of the recorded files based on the file administration information and the block management information concerning the file.
In the reproducing method in accordance with the fourth aspect of the present invention, a file is reproduced based both on file management information for managing logical sequential order of each of files stored in the recording medium and block management information which includes information for identifying each of the files, information indicative of the logical sequence of the blocks in which the data of each file is recorded, and information indicative of the size of the data recorded in the blocks.
In the recording medium in accordance with the fifth aspect of the present invention, access to each of the files is managed based both on file management information for managing logical sequential order of each of files stored in the recording medium and block management information which includes information for identifying each of the files, information indicative of the logical sequence of the blocks in which the data of each file is recorded, and information indicative of the size of the data recorded in the blocks.
In the recording apparatus of the sixth aspect of the present invention, the block management information storing means stores block management information including information for identifying each of the files, information indicative of the logical sequential order of the block in which the data of each file is recorded, and information indicative of the size of the data recorded in the block, while the record controlling means serves to record a file in the recording medium and forms the block management information concerning the file. The block link management information forming means forms, based on the block management information, block link management information including link information indicative of the state of linkage between the blocks in which the data of the file is recorded.
The recording method in accordance with the seventh aspect employs, in addition to the step of recording a file in the recording medium, the steps of forming block management information including information for identifying the file, information indicative of the logical sequential order of the block in which the data of the file is recorded, and information indicative of the size of the data recorded in the block, and forming, based on the block management information, block link management information including link information indicative of the state of linkage between the blocks in which the data of the file is recorded.
In the reproducing apparatus of the eighth aspect of the present invention, the block management information storing means stores block management information which includes information for identifying each of the files, information indicative of the logical sequential order of the block in which the data of each file is recorded, and information indicative of the size of the data recorded in the block. The block link management information forming means forms, based on the block management information, block link management information including link information indicative of the state of linkage between the blocks in which the data of the file is recorded. The reproduction controlling means reproduces the file based on the block management information and the block link management information.
In the reproducing method in accordance with the ninth aspect, block link management information including link information indicative of the state of linkage between the blocks in which the data of the file is recorded is formed based on block management information which includes information for identifying the file, information indicative of the logical sequential order of the block in which the data of the file is recorded, and information indicative of the size of the data recorded in the block. Reproduction of the file is performed based on the block management information and the block link management information.
In the recording medium in accordance with the tenth aspect, block link management information is formed to include link information indicative of the state of linkage between the blocks in which the data of the file is recorded, based on block management information which includes information for identifying the file, information indicative of the logical sequential order of the block in which the data of the file is recorded, and information indicative of the size of the data recorded in the block. Access to the file is managed based on the block management information and the block link management information.
In the recording apparatus in accordance with the eleventh aspect of the present invention, the parallel block forming means forms at least one parallel block constituted by at least one block, for enabling the data of the file to be recorded in at least one block in the parallel manner. The record controlling means records the data of the file in the parallel manner in the block or blocks constituting the parallel block. The block link management storing means stores block link management information concerning the parallel block constituted by the block or blocks in which the data of the file is recorded. The computing means computes position information concerning the position of the data of the file based on the block link management information.
In the recording method in accordance with the twelfth aspect of the present invention, parallel block forming step forms at least one parallel block constituted by at least one block, for enabling the data of the file to be recorded in at least one block in the parallel manner. The record controlling step records the data of the file in the parallel manner in the block or blocks constituting the parallel block. The computing computes position information concerning the position of the data of the file, based on block link management information which includes information concerning the parallel block constituted by the block or blocks in which the data of the file is recorded.
In the reproducing apparatus in accordance with the thirteenth aspect of the present invention, the block link management information storing means stores block link management information concerning the parallel block constituted by the block or blocks in which the data of the file is recorded. The reproduction controlling means reproduces the data of the file based on the block link management information. The computing means computes, based on the block link management information, position information concerning the position of the data of the file which is being reproduced.
In the reproducing method in accordance with the fourteenth aspect of the present invention, the data of a file is reproduced based on block link management information which includes information concerning the parallel block constituted by block or blocks in which the data of the file has been recorded. The position information concerning the position of the data of the file which is being reproduced is computed based on the block link management information.
In the recording medium in accordance with the fifteenth aspect of the present invention, at least one parallel block constituted by at least one block, for enabling the data of a file to be recorded in at least one block in the recording area in the parallel manner, has been formed and the data of the file has been recorded in the parallel manner in the bock or blocks constituting the parallel block. Position information concerning the position of the data of the file is computed, based on block link management information including information concerning the parallel block constituted by the block or blocks in which the data of the file is recorded.
The above and other objects, features and advantages of the present invention will become clear from the following description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.